What Is a Solar Installer-Roofer?

Solar Installer-Roofers are the people who install solar panels and solar cells in the roofs of residential and commercial buildings.  Currently, trained, qualified Solar Roofers are hard to come by these days, even in our quickly growing “green” economy.  Why?  Because a Solar Roofer must not only possess the trade skills and construction experience of a roofer, but must also be a competent solar electrician.

Solar Roofs

There are basically two different types of solar roofing jobs being done today: retrofitting and integrated.  Retrofitting is installing a solar panel on an existing roof.  Integrating is incorporating solar cells and panels into a new roof being built.

Solar electrician skills are less important for retrofitting solar roofing.  This is a relatively easy job.  It basically consists of mounting one or more solar panels on an existing roof, and feeding the wiring though the roof to the battery banks.  A regular roofer could do this, and leave the wiring to an electrician.

Retrofitted solar roofs, however, have many drawbacks.  Solar panels are bulky, more exposed to the elements of wind, rain, and snow, and many consider them to be an eyesore that drags down property values.  Consequently, integrated solar roofing has become increasingly popular.  The solar panels are actually built into the roof, the sides more or less flush with the rest of the roof.  Such solar panels are less exposed to harsh weather and more aesthetically pleasing.  It’s still obvious, however, that you have solar panels on your roof.

To compensate for this problem, solar cell manufactures have started producing “solar shingles.”  These are specialized roofing shingles that have photovoltaic solar cells built into them, but otherwise appear to be the same shape, size, and color as regular asphalt shingles.  Solar shingles can provide an entire building roof that is essentially one big solar panel, but (from a distance, at least) looks like any other roof.  Although solar shingle roofs are increasingly popular, they have also increased the demand for Solar Installer-Roofers.

Unlike solar panels in which all the solar cells are already wired together, solar shingles must be wired together into a solar array as they are applied to the roof.  Furthermore, the solar shingles need to be installed and wired together before the rest of the roof is installed with regular shingles, so that the wires from the solar shingles can be run along the ridge cap of the roof, where they are hidden from sight and protected from harsh weather.

Requirements for Becoming a Solar Installer-Roofer

Solar Installer-Roofers are usually made rather than found.  Unfortunately, few people today possess both roofing trade skills and solar electronics training.  Therefore, solar roofing companies either hire roofers and train them to be solar electricians or hire solar electricians and train them to install roofs.

If you are already a roofer, enter a two-year program in electrical engineering at a community college or vocational school.  Another option is an electrician apprenticeship trade program.  Either way, this should give you the electrical knowledge and experience necessary to qualify for a Solar Installer-Roofer position.  For there, your employer should train you on the specifics of their methods and equipment.

On the other hand, if you are already have an Associates or Bachelors in electrical engineering, or are a certified electrician, you’ll need to train to become a roofer as well.  Vocational schools should at least offer a few classes in this construction skill, and some might even offer full programs.  Another route is to enter a roofing apprenticeship trade program.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Alternative Energy Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Originally, solar street lights have been designed for use in isolated areas, or in locations where the electricity supply was damaged by certain unexpected events. Fortunately, the technology has progressed immensely in the last decade. Solar street lights are now easy to install, affordable and reliable. They last for years and require minimum maintenance.

Such features really count in times of economic distress such as the ones we go through. Public lighting has become expensive, slowly affects the environment and consumes a large part of the electrical energy produced for utilities. Considering the fact that we simply cannot cut off the street electricity, we must adhere to cost-convenient and reliable sources like solar energy for street lights. Few of the benefits of switching to solar street lights are:

• solar street lights deliver the same light intensity as the classic lights;
• solar street lights are economic;
• Solar public lighting is environmental-friendly.

It is recommended to integrate solar street lights in a well-designed network in order to provide the scouted results. Take note that solar street lights don’t just work anywhere. The specific of the environment and the implementation process will determine the required type of solar street lights. There is a big difference between solar street lights and the average solar garden lights we buy from the local store. Solar street lights must ensure road safety and security; therefore, authorities must implement highly effective solutions. There are endless opportunities in the Solar Energy Industry.

Boots on the Roof is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar PV training boot camp. To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

Currently, classic fuels represent the main sources of energy around the globe (almost 70%): oil, gas, wood or coal.  Water plants and nuclear plants generate the rest. An amazing statistic indicates that a third of the energy produced is used for heating and for producing hot water. Considering the accelerated rhythm of population growth as well as the development of technology, it is imperative to find cheap and renewable energy resources. In addition, it has already become clear that there are negative effects of using the classic resources (dependency of resources and common networks, pollution). Perhaps the most important thing is that classic resources are becoming more expensive, reaching new price records each year. Solar panel systems have a series of advantages compared to the traditional sources of energy:

• They produce free energy;
• Solar panel systems are ecological, they don’t affect the environment or produce residues;
• Energy produced by solar panel systems is drainless;
• Solar panel systems don’t need complicated equipment for processing or transporting the resources, prior their usage.

There are many companies specializing in producing solar panel systems. Solar panel systems work on a simple principle: they convert solar radiation in heat and the heat is used for heating water. Therefore, you can obtain hot water for domestic purposes or for heating systems. Moreover, electricity produced by solar panel systems is far more convenient than the classic energy bill you see every month. There are absolutely no drawbacks when it comes to solar panel systems. Whether you decide to use them for lowering your energy or heating expenses or for gaining independence from the traditional energy networks, solar panel systems are an excellent choice.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Thermal Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

For the most part, there is no true solar power laptop available on the market today. Most can utilize solar power electricity either to run or recharge through the use of the solar power cell recharging converters that come configured in some sort of external device like a backpack. Most have to be purchased specially configured in 40 watt or 60-watt output to make sure that they can generate sufficient power to operate the laptop safely. The only true solar power laptop is a stripped down mini laptop known as a “netbook.” This solar power laptop was produced by a small Spanish company called iUnika, and comes equipped with solar panels built into the top of the unit.

The output of these panels is sufficient to charge the unit for use after about an hour of solar exposure. The iUnika unit may be upgraded to include wireless capabilities. Tech reviewers report that the device has sustainable components. The computer’s outer body is composed of bioplastics and materials that are biodegradable (i.e. made from cellulose and starch) making the end-of-life netbooks extremely easy to recycle when they are ready to be replaced. Beyond this lone example, it is clear that computer companies have some catching up to do to make a truly solar power laptop available to the average consumer. These companies are seeking employees with solar training to fill the gaps.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Flexible solar PV panels are an example of some of the newest technology that is proving to be a boon to those looking to find a green answer to the use of modern electronics considered to be essential to modern living.

Flexible solar panels have recently come into play in the form of portable solar systems that can be folded or rolled up to provide voltage from the sun for devices in areas that are too remote from or do not have access to electricity for allowing the use of electrically-dependant devices like emergency telephones, hair dryers, or radios. All of these things can easily be run from flexible solar panels using sunlight if the panel is opened out in the daylight. Some of these even have the capability of running more than one appliance at a time or come with the ability of storing power for use when there is no sunlight available to power anything.

Like the flexible solar panels, solar power cells have been put to good use of late, especially in the area of providing solar-based rechargers for electronic devices like laptop computers, MP3 players, and cell phones. Many of these solar power cells are coming in the form of wearable items like backpacks, briefcases or even jogging clothes. By wearing these items out or exposing them to sunlight, the solar power cells are able to provide a full charge to whatever device is hooked up to them. Some even come equipped with USB-type adapters to allow the recharging of some devices like the MP3 players or PDAs, which are normally recharged through connection to a computer’s USB port.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Solar electric panels are the basic unit needed to power the solar energy generation system. Connected to a solar generator, these panels collect the sunlight that will be converted into electrical current that will be used to provide power to the household. These residential solar panels are built into small arrays that are either placed on the roof of the structure, or somewhere nearby that will receive maximum sun exposure. Unlike larger commercial arrangements, these panel arrays are fixed and cannot swivel to track the movement of the sun in the sky.

Solar electric panels collect the sunlight that is considered to be DC current and through the solar generator, transforms it into the AC that runs household systems and appliances. AC current is also what electrical devices need to run in North America, so any device needing power to run or recharge may make use of this solar power electricity. Through the use of the net metering system, a special meter is integrated into the system that can accurately measure the amount of wattage the consumer needs to buy off the utility grid during times the solar generation system cannot function (like at night or times when the sky is too overcast to provide sunlight). At other times when the generator produces more than is needed by the home, this overage can be sold back to the utility for the use of other power consumers.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Solar photovoltaic training is becoming a more valuable commodity, especially in rural areas throughout the world.  There, being connected to a utility’s power grid may not be feasible due to the cost, or not possible due to distance from the utility grid necessary to run connecting lines.

Training in solar energy will come into play especially in the area of solar install training. The solar technician will be able to design a system that generates enough electrical power to meet the needs of the homeowner. This new technology will bring electricity to houses that in the past have had to go without because they were too remote from any power grid system to be able to take advantage of it.

Training in  solar energy will also bring the availability of hot water to places where the only way to get it was to heat it over wood fires or use fossil fuels like coal or bottled propane gas. By using a tank-less solar hot water system powered by solar energy, people in remote areas can now enjoy the benefits of a nearly unlimited supply of hot water that will not affect the environment negatively. A solar system will also allow the use of technology like a computer where this was not possible before. One important example of this is the installation of small solar systems that power remote monitoring sensors for things like pipelines, earthquake activity or phone availability for emergencies.

It is clear that training on solar energy will provide a job path that will be very much in demand in the future as the need for renewable energy mushrooms. Even if the economy continues to decline, this is one career that will show steady growth in light of the ever-increasing need for qualified workers.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

A solar electric panel is the basic unit of the solar generation and solar heat system needed to wean a home off purchased electrical power in coming years. With the legislation recently signed into being and heavily promoted by the President, installation of a solar energy system will put the American consumer on the road to a savings of between $1 billion and $2 billion a year in energy costs between the years 2012 and 2042.

Home solar panels are most often installed as a part of a solar generation system. These panels are generally grouped together in a formation known as an array. This array is positioned in such a way so that it can get the maximum amount of sunlight that falls on the property daily. If the structure has the capacity the array made of the solar electric panels is put on the roof. If the structure is not able to support the load the added weight the array will place on it, the array can be placed nearby so as to get the maximum sunlight. The array can be now be attached to the house through a cable.

The solar electric panel array is usually attached to a solar generator and a net metering system that usually hooks into the local electrical utility’s power grid. The net metering system is able to run backwards and forwards to accurately measure the wattage that might be pulled from the grid during the time that the sky is overcast or dark and can’t provide sunlight for generation. In the times when there is more energy produced than is needed to run the house, this extra wattage will be purchased by the utility for other customers to use. Ideally, this is done by someone with solar installation training.

For those houses that are too distant to economically run lines from a power grid, or those that want to remain totally self-sufficient, usually will have a battery system included in the plan with home solar panels rather than a net metering system so that they can store any excess, unused power that has been generated for themselves to cover for times that sunlight is not present to power the system.

Cheap solar panels can be found with a little bit of research. Prices of solar technology is expected to come down in coming times as the amount of solar home panels in use goes up. Economic incentives signed into law recently will more than likely lead the drive to make cheap solar panels more available to consumers looking to add this renewable energy resource as a responsible choice for their power needs.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Believe it or not, solar energy is not a brand new idea. The sun has always been used to warm the earth and energize our bodies. During the Industrial Revolution, there were a number of engineers that seriously questioned the notion that fossil fuels would always be abundant and wanted to look into using solar power instead.

If we had started utilizing solar energy one hundred years ago, we might not be scrambling to design and use solar heating panels as a cost-effective alternative.

Grid power continues to be cheaper than grid parity, the point where photovoltaic electricity is equal to or less than grid power. Engineers expect grid parity to be equal to grid power by 2015 but only in sunny parts of the United States.

The cost of solar heating panels and solar power lights is more economically feasible with the federal governments promoting financial incentives to further the development. On a small scale, this type of incentive was tried in 2006 by a group of investors that offered free solar panel installation in return for a twenty-five year contract or Power Purchase Agreement, to purchase electricity at a fixed price, set below current electric rates. This is a program for solar heating panels that seems to be working well.

Recently, Berkeley, California, came up with an innovative financing arrangement, adding property assessment, allowing the city to pay for the installed solar electric panels up front. The homeowner then pays a rate equal to the annual electric bill savings, spread over 20 years, allowing free installation. There are numerous programs such as this taking shape in an effort to play catch up for what we failed to see decades of years ago.

Price setting by supply and demand is by far the most popular type of system because of competition. However, because of the volatility of the market and the future value of energy produced, an increased risk of the cost of capital borrowed is seen. Subsidies and feed-in tariffs both point to a financial burden on the consumer that we just cannot carry with the current economical situation.

Producing wholesale solar electric panels may be an option as created by our neighbors in Germany as they have been way ahead of the United States in their manufacturing of solar heating panels. With all of the options that seem to be floating around, solar installator is an excellent career to look into for the future evolution of solar energy. As fossil fuels continue to dissipate, actually any type of education in the solar energy sector will turn into a winner.

Boots on the Roof, a premier Solar Training institute, is offering enrollments in its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Technology is constantly evolving and energy takes a lot of credit for it. With the non-renewable resources rapidly depleting, people need to go on the initiative to find alternative resources and thanks to dedicated groups, people have successfully accomplished that. Now the challenge points to making use of these resources and finding ways to fully replace the fossil fuels once and for all so that civilization can proceed after these resources are consumed.

Solar energy is one of the useful and clean sources of energy and is now more used more often than ever before. The problem is that not all people are aware on how often solar energy is used today resulting in a huge demand for people handling solar related tasks. Solar photovoltaic training is vital in bringing solar energy to the mainstream. The following facts support why solar photovoltaic training is very important.

Solar Energy is Becoming used More Often

Solar electric power isn’t a new technology and has been utilized way back in the ancient times. This clean energy source has encountered many limitations in the past and now mobile technology is pushing solar energy forward. Soon mobile phones with solar cells will be introduced where the batteries collect power from the sun to store the energy so they can be used at night as well. There are even DIY guides how to make solar panels of your own to cut electricity costs and lots of homeowners are carrying on with that. Solar training is needed to convince these people that solar energy will soon be one of the top energy choices.

Few People with Solar Energy Knowledge compared to other Energy Sources

Communities can be at a huge disadvantage once solar electric power becomes mainstream and not many people within that community know what to do with it and how to operate the devices that are powered by solar energy. Solar training can solve these problems and encourage people to embrace modern technology and save big on utility costs. This is the best time to get into solar training especially since these utilities are going up in prices. The more people get into solar training, the more people will be convinced to use solar energy as a leading energy source.

Helps Prepare for Future Technologies

Solar technology is still in the growing stage and it will only improve as more solar photovoltaic training is encouraged. There are already some interesting methods on how to combine both solar and wind energy to power homes. As more research and development is put into solar energy, more applications will be made leading to new technologies. Everyone should get into solar training early to get a glimpse of these technologies.

There are so many people looking for other people that are experts in the solar electric power field. After you take your time with solar training you can continue onward with solar related jobs to boost your care and at the same time make a huge contribution to technology advancement.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.